Lunetta
They just ain’t big enough for the BK: Like Williamsburg’s Aurora, which spun off its own Manhattan outpost this year, Smith Street standby Lunetta hits the big time by making the leap across the river to Gramercy with a second location. “We just felt like it was the right time,” says chef-owner Adam Shepard. “[The Brooklyn location] has been growing, and this space has been available, and we took advantage.” (It’s located at the old Mayrose space.) The restaurant goes for what is being billed as a mid-century Italian-American homage, using the same small-plates formula that worked so well at the Cobble Hill location (including its famed meatballs in toasted-garlic tomato sauce). “The menu is grounded in what we do in Brooklyn,” says Shepard, who counts Saul and The Grocery as his other Smith Street faves. The biggest difference? “We have the ability, because of the size, to have a really large, expensive, fresh pasta program,” he says enthusiastically. “In Brooklyn, it was impossible—we didn’t have the space or the manpower.” Shepard is also psyched that the new location, whose wine list is a hundred bottles deep, is just steps away from the Greenmarket: “You couldn’t ask for a better situation.” 920 Broadway at 21st St., 212-533-3663

Dell’anima
“We’re leaving at 5 a.m. after prepping and getting in at 11 a.m.!” quips chef Gabriel Thompson, describing the opening rush at this new Italian wine bar–cum–restaurant in the Village. It’s a complete 180 for the chef, who made the switch from mega-food-emporium Del Posto to this intimate affair. Although he’s no longer under the tutelage of Del Posto’s Mark Ladner (“One of the best people I’ve worked for—he knows what the hell he’s doing, but he’s also very humble and has a great palate”), Thompson is now able to showcase his take on contemporary Italian fare, with a variety of bruschettas (including a bone-marrow custard version), handmade pastas (pizzoccheri with sage, potato and fontina) and meats (braised lamb shank with polenta). “I’m inspired by ingredients—when I start describing the food to the waitstaff, everything starts having lemon and olive oil, parsley, anchovies,” says Thomspon, who actually grew up a vegetarian with a “hippie mom” who espoused soy sauce over ketchup (“I still get a gag reflex when I eat ketchup,” he says). The wine program, crafted by owner Joe Campanale (Babbo), delivers a well-rounded Italian selection of about a hundred bottles. Ultimately, says Thompson, the goal was to create a neighborhood spot that’s accessible, from its democratic wine list to the open kitchen to the six-seat “chef’s counter.” “I’m not elitist,” he says. “When I get stressed out, my girlfriend’s mom says, ‘It’s not like we’re making peace in the Middle East. We’re making food.’” 38 Eighth Ave. at Jane St., 212-366-6633

Smith’s
Danny Abrams, who built a savory reputation for himself as one-half of the duo—with former partner Jimmy Bradley—behind the Harrison, the Red Cat and the Mermaid Inn, might wanna take a breather: Aside from prepping Mermaid Inn’s new uptown spinoff, he’s been able to squeeze in this contemporary American restaurant. "It's a jewel of a restaurant in Greenwich Village," he tells us, and offers "rustic American food"—think Cape Cod baby squid with lemon confit, pork chop with celery root and apple puree, and grilled lobster with roasted-butternut-squash puree. This time around, Abrams teams up with Cindy Smith, one of the owners of Soho stalwart Raoul’s, and chef Pablo Romero, a former sous chef a Bouley. The interiors, from Mark Zeff (who designed both the Red Cat and the Harrison), juxtaposes “contemporary and found elements” to give it an “overall eclectic feel.” The results are dramatic, if a bit schizo: A railroad-car-style dining room, with tony black leather banquettes and mirrors, trails off into a moody hideaway bar with velvet-lined walls. 79 MacDougal St. at Houston St., 212-260-0100

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill
Score one more for the Bromberg brothers’ stab at world domination: The booming Blue Ribbon franchise, which now includes locations in the West Village and Brooklyn, treks to Midtown at the new Six Columbus hotel, right across the Time Warner Center. This outpost—a study in cedar and walnut woodwork—is a melange of Blue Ribbon Sushi (often hailed as some of the best sushi in town) and Blue Ribbon Brasserie, with dishes like fried chicken “Blue Ribbon–style” (with wasabi and honey), bone-in rib steak with teriyaki sauce, and the “Tokyo Broil” (Wagyu steak with pickled cabbage and shishito peppers). 6 Columbus Circle at Eighth Ave., 212-397-0404

Bacaro
In Venice, a bacaro is a rustic, working man’s pub woven into nondescript backstreets. In New York, that translates into a sticky-floored dive with sad-sack Joe Schmo belching up last night’s Bud. But hey, who says we can’t shoot for some class? That’s what the folks behind Peasant have done with this seductive, dramatically appointed osteria on Division Street. The bi-level space flaunts a charming upper level with wood beams, exposed brick, metal and marble, but the real money shot is downstairs, where catacomb-like caverns house a bar, several tables and Bacaro’s temperature-controlled wine rooms. The wine selection leans toward northern Italy, with a focus on vino from the Veneto region, and about 30 are available by the glass. Bar snacks keeps the munchies at bay, including fritto misto, spicy fried meatballs, and meat and cheese platters, with cheese handpicked by Little Italy cheese guru Lou DiPalo. Bet you won’t find him at your neighborhood dive. 136 Division St. between Orchard and Ludlow Sts., 212-941-5060

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